Where's Willy?

3:38pm Wednesday 16th January 2002

People have a funny relationship with Shakespeare.

It seems you can either love him or hate him and if you claim to belong to the former camp, you're just saying that to seem erudite, surely!

So going to see The Shakespeare Revue may not appear to be everybody's cup of tea until you hear what the devisers have to say about it.

"People don't have to worry," insists co-deviser Malcolm McKee, otherwise known as Graham Ryder from The Archers. "It's got hardly any Shakespeare in it. Thirty lines, maybe. No more than that."

This inevitably begs the question, why Shakespeare?

"It's really a selection of writers' reactions to his work," Malcolm explains. "He's been very inspirational and the writers have taken some of the themes he's known for, like all the cross-dressing in his plays, for example, and done little plays and songs and sketches about them. The most important thing is that it's very, very funny."

There's no doubting that if the line-up of contributing writers is anything to go by. From Alan Bennett to Maureen Lipman to Fascinating Aida and the Monty Python team, some of the best-loved comedy writers of the past few decades have had a hand in the script.

"It's great that we've got so many different contributors because it adds so much variety," says Malcolm. "It's turned out to be a look at Shakespeare through the ages we've got a Music Hall-style bit, a Cole Porter bit, all sorts. We all get dressed up in our tuxes and sparkly gowns and look rather as if we were at a party.

"It should also appeal to everyone because it's a classic revue format. If you get bored with one item, it'll soon be over and you might like the next one!"

The line-up on stage comprises Malcolm, co-deviser Christopher Luscombe, Jan Hartley, Clive Hayward and Nicola Keen. Its origins, however, are as a one-off, two-man show, when Malcolm and Christopher, who's currently directing Noel Coward's Star Quality in the West End, devised it for a charity night at the RSC in Stratford.

"We were 'spotted' and invited to take the show to the Barbican and then the West End, where it ran for a few months," explains Malcolm.

"Then we went to America with it. We've just now finished a world tour, including dates in the Far East, and we're all very tired!"

Despite the punishing schedule, Christopher and Malcolm have also finished working on a similar-style Noel Coward revue which is set to open soon. "We're churning them out!" smiles Malcolm. "It seems that people are willing to think again about revue, which perhaps once they would dismiss as old fashioned, and give it a try."

The Shakespeare Revue is at Richmond Theatre, The Green from next Thursday (January 24) to Saturday January 26.

Call 8940 0088 for tickets, which are £16/£13.